Five Indian sailors detained by Iran since April have been released and have left the country, the Indian Embassy in Tehran has confirmed.
The sailors were among 17 Indian crew members on board the Israeli-linked container ship, MSC Aries, which was seized by Iran on April 13 off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The ship was taken into custody after it turned off its radar in Iranian territorial waters, according to Iranian authorities.
"We appreciate the Iranian authorities for their close coordination with the Embassy and Indian Consulate in Bandar Abbas," the Indian Embassy said in a statement, expressing gratitude for the release.
The release comes after extensive efforts by the Indian mission in Tehran and the Iranian government. Last month, Ann Tessa Joseph, the only female crew member, was released and returned to India, where she was welcomed back by her family and officials.
Eleven Indian sailors remain in Iran, although the Indian government has not confirmed this figure. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said last week that the crew of the seized Portuguese-flagged ship linked to Israel had been released as a "humanitarian act".
Iran had said the ship was seized for "violating maritime laws" and maintained it was linked to Israel, which has been accused of carrying out a drone attack on an Iranian military facility in April.
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, as the US military was increasing its presence in the Middle East due to concerns about a potential response from Iran following the Israeli attack on the consulate in Syria which resulted in the deaths of seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including two generals.
